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Chassis a key to F4 advancement

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the introduction of FIA Formula 4 as our premier junior open wheel category in the near future. In this issue I’d like to look at one aspect of the difference between what we have now in Formula Ford and what we will have in the future with Formula 4.

Amongst the components of a competitive racing car, the chassis is a key element: the performance and safety of the driver depend on it. Mygale designs and builds singleseaters using both types of chassis : welded steel spaceframe and carbon monocoque. Historically, open-wheel Formula use spaceframe chassis (such as Formula Ford today), but carbon monocoque is becoming more and more common (Formula BMW, Formula 3 and nowadays Formula 4).

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So what is a Spaceframe chassis? Basically it is an assembly of welded steel tubes (TIG). They provide high stiffness, good impact resistance in case of accident, better endurance to the constraints imposed by the suspensions. From an economic point of view it is particularly suitable for small series production (raw material cheaper than carbon). They are also relatively easy to repair.

A carbon monocoque on the other hand is composed of carbon fibers woven in superposed layers of varying thickness depending on the area of stress, with a layer of aluminum honeycomb in the middle to improve the rigidity. It is a chassis and an outer shell at once. It combines strength and lightness (carbon is 5 times lighter and 2 times stronger than steel) and its low density allows a weight gain of 10% over a steel frame. It also allows to create more complex shapes, more aerodynamic, and in one piece. More safety for drivers: able to progressively absorb energy, improved crashworthiness. No corrosion.

It’s advantages are that it’s mechanical properties are not only equivalent, but indeed superior to steel in torsional stiffness. Butcosts are higher, because the raw material is more expensive and its implementation requires heavier investments such as an autoclave.

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